Root Canal Treatment

GHC Praha performs root canal treatment (endodontics) under dental operating microscope magnification, enabling the dentist to locate and thoroughly clean all root canals — including curved, narrow, or calcified canals that may be missed with the naked eye. Root canal treatment removes infected or inflamed pulp tissue from inside the tooth, eliminates the bacterial source of infection, and seals the canal system to prevent reinfection. The procedure saves a tooth that would otherwise require extraction, preserving natural bite function and avoiding the need for an implant or bridge.

Root canal treatment (endodontic therapy) is the procedure for treating teeth in which the dental pulp — the soft tissue of nerves and blood vessels inside the tooth — has become irreversibly inflamed or infected, typically due to deep decay, a cracked tooth, or trauma. Without treatment, pulp infection spreads through the root apex into the surrounding bone, causing an abscess and potentially spreading to adjacent structures. **Why microscope-assisted endodontics:** Dental operating microscopes provide 8–25× magnification and coaxial illumination of the root canal system — allowing the endodontist to: - Locate additional canals that are invisible to the naked eye (upper molars have 3–4 canals; missed canals are a leading cause of treatment failure) - Navigate curved, calcified, or complex canal anatomy with precision - Detect cracks or root fractures that affect prognosis - Perform more thorough debridement with smaller, more controlled instrumentation **The procedure:** *Step 1 — Anaesthesia:* Local anaesthetic is administered. Modern anaesthetic techniques make root canal treatment no more uncomfortable than a routine filling. *Step 2 — Access cavity:* A small opening is made through the crown of the tooth into the pulp chamber. *Step 3 — Canal preparation:* Rotary nickel-titanium files progressively clean and shape the root canals to a standardised taper while irrigating with sodium hypochlorite and EDTA solutions to dissolve organic debris and disrupt bacterial biofilm. *Step 4 — Obturation:* The cleaned canals are filled with gutta-percha (a rubber-like material) and endodontic sealer, sealed from the apex to the access cavity opening. *Step 5 — Restoration:* The access cavity is closed with a composite filling or the patient is referred for a crown if the tooth structure requires it (common after root canal treatment, as the tooth becomes more brittle). **Post-treatment:* Mild discomfort and tenderness on biting for 2–5 days is normal as periapical inflammation resolves. Over-the-counter analgesics are typically sufficient. The treated tooth functions normally thereafter.